Fuel Cell Mounting Tips - Safe In The City

I wouldn't go so far as to say I'm fearless, but when it comes to most four-wheeled automotive tasks, I don't really scare all that easily. Ask me to do a donut in a car with no seats; I'm in. Tell me a car may or may not have working brakes and I'll probably jump in and find out for myself. Racing school buses on a figure-8? I'm down for the invite (hint, hint) and would be more than willing to give it a go with a little instruction and a GoPro strapped to my helmet.

There is just a certain comfort in a car that I'm OK with-unlike in my normal life-where I live in a pretty much constant fear of being attacked by a sasquatch, getting touched by any kind of spider, seeing Editor Fisher the week of or after deadlines are missed, and, well, pretty much anything else that involves scary looking animals or bugs. It's not like I'm a weirdo (ding, dong!) but, I just don't like creepy-crawlies, they scare me. And don't even get me started on fish...

Point is, cars-and especially race cars-don't really scare me except for one all too real issue: Fire. I'm terrified of fire and couldn't imagine a situation worse than being trapped inside a race car at a track when it goes up in flames. Unlike my potentially silly sasquatch fear, ending up in a blazing car after a wreck isn't very uncommon and the reality is grounded in stories, videos, and firsthand experience from racers and fans all around the country.

If you're racing out there with a cut up race car and a poorly mounted and/or protected fuel cell, it's not just a bad idea, it's one that could easily land you in the hospital or, worst case, in a box thanks to a relatively minor on-track incident. Unfortunately, even with this knowledge, many racers think of a 12-gallon fuel cell as an afterthought, a piece of equipment necessary to carry the fuel you need for a race and nothing more. Knowing that a quality cell is well worth its price tag, we spent our last story with the City Boy working on a safe structure to hold our ATL fuel cell. This month, we're covering the installation and fitment of the cell and structure and hope that you too will consider safety first when it comes to this vital piece of equipment.